


sick of losing soulmates

by Delvainy



Category: Killing Eve (TV 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Dialogue Heavy, F/F, KE Week 2020, Knowing me, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Tags Are Hard, and probably, for like plot, i guess, it will be soft, minor Eve/Niko, past villanelle/anna, terrible at tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:00:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26229091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Delvainy/pseuds/Delvainy
Summary: “What’s the difference, Eve?” Niko’s face had turned red in anger. “I love you and am destined to always love you, and you just met the love of your life. And it’s not me.”Eve and Villanelle are soulmates, and I am Soft.
Relationships: Eve Polastri/Villanelle | Oksana Astankova
Comments: 35
Kudos: 152
Collections: Killing Eve Week 2020





	1. The Maths Teacher

**Author's Note:**

> Hello friends, acquaintances, and enemies!  
> A multichapter fic, huh? That's scary. Anyway, I actually was just writing this for funzies, but it happened to be the prompt for Killing Eve Week Day 1, so like sure whatever! I am an actual sucker for soulmate AUs, like cry my eyes out because I love them so much kind of sucker. I realized that I've actually never written a soulmate fic, and there are (or I guess WERE before today) a tragically small number of Villaneve soulmate fics. So here we are.

“Are you alright?” Concerned, dark eyes locked onto Villanelle, trapping her in place for a moment. Her arm burned, but perhaps that was only in her head. She put her hand on her arm, picturing the words there at which she’d spent so much time staring. The Words. She had said the Words Villanelle had been waiting her entire life to hear. 

This person—this _wonderful_ person with the beautiful curly hair was her soulmate. This woman would love her and was _destined_ to be with her. She would never abandon her or find her darker tendencies horrifying. Finally, Villanelle would experience the unconditional love she’d spent her entire life longing for. 

Her father had come close to giving her that, but he left her too. So what if he hadn’t on purpose? 

The beautiful face staring at her scrunched up slightly in confusion at Villanelle’s continued silence. God, the one-time Villanelle actually wanted to be smooth, and here she was staring like a village idiot. 

“Better now, Mrs. Leonova,” Villanelle said before mentally kicking herself. What boring words to have permanently tattooed on your body. Well, no worse than “are you alright,” but at least Villanelle’s words show care. Poor Anna. She leaned forward in her desk, smiling blindingly up at her soulmate. 

  
  
  
  
  


“Are you alright?” Concerned, dark eyes locked onto Villanelle, and she felt the moment like a stab to the gut. It hurt. Her arm didn’t burn this time, though, because she wasn’t some kid blindly trusting a stranger anymore. 

Part of her wanted to just stay silent. The déjà vu was almost too much to bear. The hands and the beautiful, familiar hair were almost too much to bear. Hell, even the terrible clothes were almost too much to bear. If she never said anything, then maybe she wouldn’t have to wonder if her Words were somewhere on her fantastic body. 

Plus, she had a job to do. 

Villanelle silently walked to the door, placing her hand on the handle before pausing. She could still see the amazing hair in her mind even with her back turned. It was that—and the dread of those curls being imprisoned in an unflattering bun once more—which made her turn back slightly. 

“Wear it down,” Villanelle said with a tiny nod after opening the door. Well. At least she’d had the self-control to use a different accent. 

The woman's face morphed into one of complete shock, hands going slack in her hair. She opened and closed her mouth several times as Villanelle made her escape. 

At least Villanelle would be able to channel her emotions into her work. 

  
  
  
  


Eve sat on her couch, still in shock hours later. How had everything gone tits up so quickly? She’d met her real, actual soulmate and lost her job in quick succession. Niko was going to blow a gasket. 

They’d gotten married quite young after a whirlwind romance; Eve had said his Words, after all. 

Now, he paced back and forth in front of Eve, hands tugging at his hair. “So–So you met her. And she’s a ‘ _her_ ,’” he scowled intensely as he spoke. “Are you even attracted to me? To men?”

For a millisecond, Eve’s eyes flickered down to the moustache, mentally grimacing, before pulling herself together. “Of _course_ I am, darling. We knew this day would come. Meeting a stranger doesn’t change the fact that I love _you_ and choose _you_.”

And, okay, sure, the stranger was gorgeous and inaccessible and alert and looked like a model even in scrubs. But how was that Eve’s fault?

“How is it even possible that you’re my soulmate, but I’m not yours?” Niko exclaimed, revisiting the argument they’d been having since her Words had appeared nine years ago. 

“We married thinking I wasn’t destined to be with _anyone_. I don’t understand what difference some woman makes in our lives.” Eve was officially shouting. 

“What’s the _difference_ , Eve?” Niko’s face had turned red in anger. “I love you and am destined to always love you, and you just met the love of your life. And it’s not me.”

“She’s _not the love of my life_ , Niko! She’s just some woman I said _three_ words to that I’ll probably never see again! I chose _you_ ! I love _y_ –”

“You don’t even know what it’s like.” Eve froze in shock, staring slack-jawed up at her husband. “You didn’t even think you’d have a soulmate for so long, so you don’t know how it feels to be waiting for them, planning your life together.”

Eve opened and closed her mouth, trying desperately to think of something to say. Niko knew how much the idea of never finding that one person who would love her wholeheartedly scared her growing up. When her peers got their Words at sixteen and she didn’t, she’d barely been able to keep it together. 

“God, what is she? Twenty-five? Twenty-six?”

“You’re the maths teacher; you should be able to figure it out,” Eve said coldly, using the ice like a shield. She stood abruptly and went to the door, grabbing her coat and purse on the way. 

Eve opened the door to see the woman from earlier. _Carolyn Martens_ , a voice in her head reminded her. It sounded remarkably like Elena.

“Eve,” Carolyn stated simply, a tiny smile on her face. 

“H-Hi?” Blindsided once again in 24 hours, the simple greeting was all Eve could manage. 

“Is there,” Carolyn paused for a moment, “anything you need at the shop?”

Eve’s brain could just not keep up with her life, apparently. She stuttered out a “what?”

“Milk? Or…?” Carolyn continued with a small shrug. 

Eve paused for a second, looking back into her home. Niko had made his way behind her to stand with his arms crossed. 

“Oh, come on, Eve,” Niko said, now putting on his best ‘reasonable teacher’ voice. Eve rolled her eyes. “Let’s just calm down and drink some tea.”

Eve looked back at Carolyn. The woman looked entirely unimpressed, standing there with an eyebrow raised. 

“I can’t. I have a work thing.” Eve quickly pulled the coat in her arms on and stepped outside. 

“A _work thing_? You don’t even have a job anymore! Eve!” Niko called behind her. Eve just shut the door and kept walking. 

  
  


“So that’s your… husband?” Carolyn asked as they walked. To a store? In the middle of the night?

Eve’s hand unthinkingly went to the words on her arm as she spoke absentmindedly, “Yes, that was Niko.”

Carolyn’s eyes followed the movement of Eve’s hand. She let out a thoughtful “hmmm, I see.”


	2. Little Miss(us) Are-You-Okay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I'm a villain. And what about it?
> 
> (didn't even edit it so have fun) (if you see something wrong lmk and I might fix it)

“I say it’s about damn time,” Bill grins at Eve over his pint. At her dramatic sigh, he continues valiantly, “Come on. Now we have tangible proof that you’re out of his league.” 

At his gesture, Eve looks down at her arm. The Words were covered by the long sleeves of her shirt and coat, but she could still see them in her mind’s eye. God knows how long she had spent staring at them, mind returning to the nurse despite her attempts to wrench it away.

“I mean, she didn’t exactly seem ecstatic to find out I’m her soulmate,” Eve fiddled with a curl thoughtfully. She tried to forget the way the woman’s eyes had burned into her, the way her mouth had curled around the Words that would forever stain Eve’s skin. 

Eve groaned and let her head thump on their table, grimacing at the sticky feel under her forehead. Never let it be said that Eve didn’t commit to the bit.

“Oh, let’s take a step away from this self-pitying nonsense; you’re gorgeous, and you have a hot young soulmate and a new job that’s tailored directly to your niche interests.” Eve peeked up at Bill. 

“Are we just ignoring the fact that I’m staying in a hotel and my marriage is falling apart?” A whining quality she couldn’t suppress had entered Eve’s voice.

“Yes. Absolutely,” Bill said deadpan.

“You know what, let’s just talk about the killer.” Eve sat up completely and pulled her hair up into a bun. The Words that haunted what felt like every waking moment flew to the forefront of her brain. She paused for a second with her hands still in her hair, before giving a mental shake of her head and continuing. 

“Oh, yes. The  _ other  _ love of your life,” Bill teased Eve mercilessly. A bit rude during their Cheering-Eve-Up drinks but whatever. She could handle some banter. 

“That would be one way to keep life interesting, for sure.” They both giggled like schoolchildren at the thought. She froze suddenly. “Wait, my soulmate was there that night. She might’ve seen something.” She pulled out her phone as she spoke, already typing out a message to Kenny.

“Using government resources to find your soulmate. Smart.” His voice was laden with innuendo. 

“Oh, shut up. I can be professional, unlike  _ some  _ people.” Eve says, staring at her phone waiting for Kenny to respond. When she got the reply—apparently his work-life balance was also fucked—she started to gather up her things quickly.

“I was your boss!” Bill called after her as she stalked out. 

“Yeah, well look how that turned out!” She yelled back, ignoring the Looks from the other bar patrons. 

  
  
  
  


Villanelle fucked, oh what’s his name… Sebastian! vigorously, refusing to close her eyes and see Little Miss (Missus?) Are-You-Okay’s beautiful curly hair—because  _ of course _ she had curly hair, just like that lying bitch—and those eyes that held so much concern for her in them. 

He came quickly. She did not. 

Villanelle had forgotten why she didn’t usually bother with men in her haste to prove to herself that she doesn’t need or want a soulmate. Not that she was doing that. She slept with people all the time, no need to assign some special meaning to it just because someone happened to ask a  _ very  _ common question.

No matter that it wasn’t a common question to ask  _ her.  _ It didn’t mean anything. And neither did the way those eyes had widened when she responded, like the woman had recognized the words.

But Villanelle  _ refused  _ to make the same mistake twice. She’d been tricked before, and that was when her life was much less high-stakes, considering. 

Well, that distraction didn’t work. Perhaps it was time to go back to tried and true methods? She slipped out of the bed and gathered up her clothes, not even stopping to put them on. 

Maybe Villanelle wouldn’t have to lie to Her about her job. She pushed away the thought angrily and pointedly focused on how she would kill the perfumer. 

  
  
  
  


Eve groaned and leaned back in her office chair, finally closing her eyes to the gruesome pictures on her computer screen. Her fingers teased through her curls in an attempt to soothe her headache. It was at that moment that Kenny sent her the information she had asked for on the hospital staff. 

She sat straight up in her seat as she immediately started clicking through the pictures, searching for those eyes, those  _ lips _ that had somehow burned into her mind during their short interaction.

No. Nope. Absolutely not. No. No. Not her. Nope.

Her heart dropped to her stomach as she reached the last profile. It wasn’t her. 

Well. Fuck. 

  
  
  


An MI6 agent was looking for her! Perhaps a perfect distraction that has just fallen into Villanelle’s lap. Sebastian apparently couldn’t last very long in more ways than one—never go through someone else’s bag, naughty naughty—so it was good a certain Eve Polastri had appeared. Ignoring the puddle of champagne still on her floor, she did a little twirl.

Konstantin had been kicked out of her apartment without fanfare and without being given a glass of the champagne Villanelle had cracked open. If he wouldn’t stay for a movie, he didn’t get to stay to drink her nice shit. 

She didn’t know where he went when he wasn’t watching her like an overzealous waitress and honestly she didn’t let herself wonder. 

Villanelle was surprised and pleased to find the flash drive her broken toy had given her full of national anthems, and she quickly pulled out her laptop to play them. Humming along tunelessly, she started doing some research into this intriguing “Eve Polastri.” 

She was lounging across her bed, and she couldn’t quite stop her fingers from running over her Words. When they first appeared, she clung to them like a lifeline. And then she clung to Anna, ignoring the way Anna had never fully gotten naked in front of her, the way she never let Villanelle see her words. Oksana had been stupid. Blissfully ignorant until it wasn’t so blissful anymore. 

The Picture came up, and her worlds collided, and she threw her laptop away from her body instinctively. 

Fucking Eve Polastri. Fucking curls. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For real, I'm really sorry it's been so long. I haven't been a person in ages, guys. But today I wanted to write and this is what happened? And I will probably try to update it again sometime this week or next week? Scream at me if I don't; I don't like letting people down and it'll shame me into working tehehe   
> I'm @delvainy on twitter if you wanna talk or yell at me or whatever


	3. Hi, Eve.

Okay. Fine. Villanelle had a soulmate. For real this time. She pushed away those doubts that had been ingrained into her psyche years ago. She should’ve known her soulmate would be more interesting than a  _ school teacher _ . She was  _ Villanelle _ , after all. 

Villanelle considered indulging the part of her that itched to see Eve again. After all, she could always kill her if things don’t work out. And she couldn’t exactly be tricked the same way twice. No, this time she’d check for the words and make sure they were real and  _ everything _ . Teenagers were so foolish; she hadn’t been exempt apparently. 

London wasn’t too far away, and she had a day off. She could always go. And it wasn’t like her finding Eve counted as being caught by her! She could just go and talk to Eve and see if she was worth all the fuss. 

_ She will be _ , the small, hopeful, and,  _ ugh _ , romantic part of her whispered. 

Villanelle groaned but left her bed. She had some shopping to do. Apparently. 

  
  
  
  


Eve groaned and fell back on the hotel bed. She had been doing that a lot recently. But despite the theatrics she put on, even to an empty room, she didn’t feel as much as she should after losing her husband. She should be weeping and wailing and falling apart, and all she could manage were a few sighs? 

Maybe it was the job. Maybe working for MI6, being a  _ spy  _ of all things, was a plaster covering the wound. 

Maybe it was Her. The knowledge that She was out there somewhere being her perfect match. God. What did it say about her that her soulmate was a literal psychopathic assassin? 

Bill had had a field day with that one. Well. Actually, no, he didn’t. She had shown up on his doorstep out of breath in a way she couldn’t blame on the walk. He was very kind and polite in the face of her enormous freakout. But even as he pulled her in for a hug, she saw the look in his eye that warned about the jokes to come. 

Now, all she wanted to do was have a glass of wine, look over her files on the killer— _ workaholic _ , Bill’s voice whispered in her head—then reread a chapter of her well-loved copy of  _ When Women Kill _ .

She was sitting up to pour her glass of wine when she heard a loud knock. With a(nother) sigh, she tread to the front door, pulling her hair up in an attempt to look more presentable. 

Eve unlocked the door and opened it with a “Bill, this better be g—”

“Hi, Eve.” A smile stretched across the catlike face. 

What. The. Fuck. 

Eve instinctively began to close the door, heart pounding. The woman stopped it while rolling her eyes. Distantly, Eve thinks about how she’s just wearing shorts and a ratty tank top and neither is even on its first day.

Her soulmate was wearing an exquisite navy suit with koi embroidered on it. Her hair was pulled into a sleek ponytail, and her clunky boots made her footsteps sound like thunder with each step into Eve’s hotel room. 

Who gave her the right to look so—to look— _ Damn _ .

The assassin clicked her tongue disapprovingly, even as she went straight to Eve’s unpacked suitcase and started rummaging. “Naughty, Eve, trying to shut me out like that. Aren’t you pleased to see me?” She turned her head back to wink at Eve, frozen next to the door. 

The wink jolted Eve from her stupor, and she shook herself slightly before stomping over to the woman, suddenly furious. She stopped next to the assassin before pausing, “Why are you here?”

“Oh, don’t act like you haven’t been looking for me. You  _ want  _ me here.” The woman stopped snooping and faced Eve as she leaned back with her hands in her pockets. Eve’s eyes follow the line of her necklace down her chest, lingering on two moles between her breasts. The obviously intentional move by the assassin brought the tight, low-cut undershirt, which perfectly matches the orange of the fish, by the way, into view.  _ Damn _ . 

The woman snickered. “Relax, Eve. I’m not here to kill you. That is why you’re looking at me so intently, right?” She raised her eyebrows innocently. 

“I should call for help. I should—they need to know you’re here,” Eve said as she scrambles to pull her phone out of her pocket and her eyes from—well. 

“God, Eve,” the killer whined, even as her gaze turned sharp and her hand reached out to knock the phone out of Eve’s hand. A knife seemed to appear in the assassin’s hands like a sick magic trick. “You really want to  _ tattle  _ on me? This isn’t kindergarten, baby.”

“Yeah, because  _ I’m  _ the child here.” Eve shot back, trying to ignore the way her heart jumped up to her throat at the sudden movement, eyes fixed on the knife. The woman noticed and rolled her eyes, slipping the weapon back into her pocket. Her hand stays there with an unspoken threat. 

“What does that say about you, Eve?” Her free hand reached out to stroke over the skin where Eve’s words sat exposed. The assassin’s face softened almost imperceptibly as her fingers traced delicately over each letter. Eve, for some inexplicable reason, lets her. “Wear it down.” She repeated in a posh accent. 

It’s only at that moment that Eve realizes her accent had been different. “You’re Russian?” 

“Maybe,” The woman said in a Scottish accent with a smarmy wink. “Maybe not,” she finished with a twang from the American south.

“Oh, please,” Eve started, reaching up to run her hands through her hair before remembering it was pulled up, “as if any American could actually convincingly do a Russian, Scottish,  _ and  _ British accent.”

The woman reached up and pulled the hair tie out of Eve’s curls reverently. Eve stood very still. “As if an American would be able to tell if my accents were convincing or not, Eve,” the assassin said, all Irish-y, while tugging on one of Eve’s curls. A startled laugh burst from Eve’s lips. 

“Are you going to tell me what you’re called, or are you the only one who gets the privilege of knowing your soulmate’s name?” Eve said, mentally noting how close they’re standing, still next to Eve’s open suitcase. 

“I believe I’m called The Demon with No Face. As for my  _ name,  _ you’re the spy. Figure it out.” French. Despite the deadpan response, Eve noticed the corners of the woman’s mouth twitch up slightly. 

Hearing those words shocked Eve back into reality. Right. She was supposed to catch this woman, not flirt with her. She eyed her phone resting on the ground a few feet away. If she could just call Carolyn. 

“You haven’t tried to run,” the assassin’s voice broke through her desperate scheming. Back to Russian, surprisingly. She sounded curious and, perhaps if she were a different person, hopeful. 

“You haven’t tried to kill me,” Eve shot back. 

The woman just smiled. “God, you’re going to be fun, aren’t you.” Her phone buzzed, and she pulled it out without a care in the world. Reading it, she made a conspiratory face at Eve. “Busted. I should get back before he throws a real hissy fit.” 

Eve knows she should be trying to get as much information as she can about the assassin’s destination, but, “‘He’? Are you married?”

She snickers at Eve’s expense. “To a man? Oh, Eve, darling,  _ look _ at me.” Her hands go back in her pockets as she backs towards the front door, only turning at the last second. 

  
_ I am _ , Eve thought.  _ That’s the problem. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's them meeting for the first time. Everything I write is soooo dialogue-heavy, so if that bothers you either let me know and I'll try to rein it in or like... sorry? Anyway, hope you liked it (and maybe are proud of me for getting it out on time?) If you wanna talk, as always I'm @delvainy on twitter, and also I tend to be good at responding to comments. Bye, guys!


	4. A Straighty as a Soulmate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, listen, I might've lied and said this would be done a lot sooner than it was, but in my defense, I am untrustworthy. Life and capitalism and existing as an adult human is difficult, what can I say?

The introduction didn’t stop the murders. Not that Eve really thought it would. When the sound of the office door opening and Elena striding in with purpose woke Eve up from her uncomfortable slumber at her desk, Eve couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows in shock at the news of another death already—this time in London. 

Murdered in a hotel—not the one Eve was staying in, thank god—in a locked and deadbolted room. The politician had been dressed in a nurse uniform, throat cut and face skinned. Part of Eve wanted to throw up and the other wanted to roll her eyes.

No need to mention the secretive third part that was impressed; her soulmate had managed to get in and out of the room without being seen, take down a man twice her size (not that the assassin was short, but this man was  _ large _ ), and skillfully leave a message for Eve. 

_ Like a Love Letter _ , that traitorous part of her whispered. 

_ Piss off _ , she yelled back. 

Had the killer used the knife with which she had threatened Eve? Either way, Eve could tell she had been thought of with each slice. Her soulmate might have just as well sliced a heart into the man, a dreaded XOXO.

Eve gathered up her belongings and pulled her coat on, ignoring how Bill kept sending her little Looks. She needed to see the kill in person. Because that was her job. That’s it. Obviously.

  
  
  
  


“Eve Polasi—”

“Polastri,” Villanelle interrupted. Konstantin rolled his eyes a bit. Why was he in her fabulous London hotel room in person? Probably just to annoy her. Didn’t he know that was  _ her  _ job?

“Eve Polastri is investigating your work. Why does she think it was you?” Konstantin stood entirely too close to Villanelle, clearly trying to intimidate her a little. Mentally, she snickered a bit, but she tried to look appropriately cowed externally. 

Villanelle shook her head minutely as she replied, “I dunno.” Konstantin looked skeptical but let it slide. 

When he told her to keep an eye on Eve, Villanelle was thrilled. An excuse to see her soulmate. To see her investigate Villanelle’s work, no less. It was a dream come true. Some people might have words to say about the kinds of dreams she has, but then, people tend to have a lot to say about her life in general. 

It didn’t take very long at all for Villanelle to make her way back to the scene of the crime (literally). She walked confidently into the shop across the street, pretending to browse as she stared out the window. The clothes were hideous. 

Villanelle didn’t have to wait long before Eve left the hotel, looking slightly frazzled and slightly exhilarated. Villanelle smirked slightly before turning back to the garish green of the dress in front of her. Shoving down a shiver of disgust, she pretended to consider it, looking at the price tag. This monstrosity cost hundreds of dollars? She rolled her eyes. 

Eve was walking quickly. Villanelle let go of the dress and left the shop. “Come back soon!” The cashier called after her.

“Absolutely not!” She responded, her light tone matching the worker’s sarcastically. 

She trailed after Eve, keeping her distance. Eve seemed surprisingly obvious. Not that Villanelle wasn’t good at her job, but Eve  _ knew _ she had a soulmate with murderous tendencies. One would think that she’d be more careful. Maybe she knew that Villanelle had no intention of hurting her. 

Villanelle was perhaps a bit less cautious than she’d normally be, following ever so slightly too closely. After a few minutes of this, Eve started glancing behind her, though her eyes never fell on Villanelle. 

Oh, to reveal herself or not?

If she never talks to Eve again, Eve will never know her and she’ll never get caught, not really. 

But she wasn’t known for controlling her impulses. She walked a bit closer and hoped Eve would turn around. Plausible deniability and all that. Eve ducked her head down and walked faster, obviously sensing eyes on her and feeling unnerved. Okay, maybe she  _ didn’t _ know Villanelle wouldn’t hurt her. 

It was that thought more than anything that made her walk faster and fall in step with Eve. Her soulmate looked over at her in shock. 

“Hi, Eve,” Villanelle smiled at her.

Eve glanced around like a child about to do something bad. “What are you doing here? Why are you still in London?”

Villanelle gasped dramatically. “Why, Eve! Someone might think you’re  _ worried _ about me.”

Eve groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. Affectionately, of course. “I’m worried someone might see us together and make the wrong assumption.”

“What? That we’re soulmates or something? Who would believe  _ that _ ?” Villanelle nudged Eve slightly. 

Eve had recovered from her shock quickly, Villanelle was pleased to note. She needed a soulmate who could roll with the punches a bit, both figuratively and probably literally considering the people she hangs around for a living. “So, no face? A bit on the nose, don’t you think, Miss Demon With No Face?”

“I have no idea what you mean! I am simply a tourist exploring London!” Villanelle’s eyes widened innocently at Eve, one step away from batting her eyelashes. At Eve’s long-suffering sigh, Villanelle dropped the act. “Anyway, how can it be on the nose if he doesn’t have one anymore?” There was a beat of politely waiting for Eve's laughter to no avail. Villanelle shrugged it off. “I see you haven’t figured out my name yet. If you need something to call me, ‘babe’ always works.”

“I’ll be sure to tell my boss that, demon.”

Villanelle narrowed her eyes at Eve, face shutting down and becoming cold. “Careful. Who knows what the murderous psychopath might do?” 

Eve looked shaken for a moment. The fear on her face didn’t feel as good as Villanelle thought it would, but she couldn’t deny the tiny thrill of adrenaline that raced through her veins. Fear gave her power, and she was never one to turn her nose up at that. 

But Eve shook off her (understandable, really) fears surprisingly quickly the same way she’d moved past her shock minutes before. No wonder MI6 wanted her; she could just bulldoze her way past anything, even her own emotions, to get what she wanted, couldn’t she? 

Eve grabbed Villanelle’s hand and pulled her into a cafe. Villanelle stared down at the hand grabbing her, transfixed. “Wow, Eve. A lady might think you’re trying to take her on a date.”

“Yeah, maybe a  _ lady _ would. It’s a good thing for both of us that you’re not one,” Eve tried to pull her hand away once they were in and sitting at a small table, but Villanelle just hung on. She eventually stopped trying bad-naturedly. 

“I know I am clearly queer, but I am actually cis, suits notwithstanding,” Villanelle shot back leaning towards her. She knew that made her tits look phenomenal, and she wasn’t above playing dirty. 

“Cis?” Yes! Eve’s eyes darted down for a moment, clearly unable to resist. 

“Oh, god. I can't believe I got a Straighty as a soulmate,” Villanelle glanced down at the pink outfit she had donned that morning. “Well, I do have a binder if that makes you more comfortable? But I think that might be a bit reductive for my tastes.” Nothing was better for the ego than seeing a previously straight woman having to come to terms with their desire for her.

“Well, clearly I’m not straight. I’m just new to this whole… thing.” Villanelle smiled and stroked her hand with her thumb a little. Just to tease her, duh. She wasn’t  _ ever _ soft—ew. Eve quickly backtracked when she noticed, “Not that this is a Thing! I just—I meant—I—”

Villanelle laughed at Eve’s expense because of course she did. This time when Eve tugged her hand away from Villanelle’s grip, she let her go, eyebrows raised.

“Ugh. Listen, you wanted to talk to me, right??” Eve finally got out a coherent thought. Good for her. “So talk.”

Villanelle smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be plot at some point, but for now, I'm deciding how much I should stray from the source material (most pressing currently is whether or not Bill dies so if y'all have any preference let me know but no promises?) If you see any mistakes, let me know, please! I'll fix them.
> 
> Anyway, I'm hoping to update more regularly because I should be able to do some writing while the baby I nanny naps? I wish I didn't have so much going on, jesus christ. 
> 
> Y'all have a good Valentine's day! I'm delvainy on Twitter if you wanna chat or yell at me for my posting schedule or anything else.


	5. Your Name is Sexy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Like all dialogue. Seriously.

“They know you’re researching me,” the assassin said bluntly after they had ordered and gotten comfortable back at their table. 

“‘They’?” Eve questioned, sipping her tea.

The woman ignored her. “Have you ever even heard of subtlety?”

“Have  _ you _ ?” Eve shot back, gesturing to the woman’s bright pink dress that looked… fluffy? at the top. “Aren’t assassins supposed to blend into their surroundings?”

The killer reached out, grabbed a strawberry from Eve’s fruit bowl, and popped it in her mouth without hesitation. Like an asshole. She even put the stem back in Eve’s bowl. “I managed to avoid you noticing me, and you’re actively looking for me. You even know what I look like, Eve.” 

“I thought you would’ve left London after the kill,” Eve reiterated as she went to steal a chunk of croissant in retaliation, but the woman smacked her hand away without even breaking eye contact with Eve.  _ Asshole _ .

“Oh, you’re not getting rid of me that easily, darling,” an almost-definitely fake sickly-sweet smile was leveled Eve’s way. “I’ve been told to keep an eye on you.”

“Are you going to kill me?” Eve was proud of how even her voice sounded. 

The woman’s face softened theatrically. “Awwwww,” she said, reaching out to tuck a strand of Eve’s wild hair behind her ear. Eve recoiled ever so slightly, and the woman let her hand drop even as her face went cold. “I have no current plans to kill you, no. Do I seem like the type of person who would kill her soulmate?”

Something was truly fucked in Eve’s head at the way she shot back a yes before she had even fully processed the question. The woman turned even colder and narrowed her eyes. After a moment, though, she let out a little laugh. 

“You are so dumb. It’s going to be hard to keep you alive, isn’t it?”

“Wait, are other people trying to kill me?” Eve asked, eyes wide. 

“No, not yet. Right now, I’m just supposed to be keeping an eye on you. Making sure your big curious brain doesn’t soak in any information you’re not supposed to know. You get it.” The assassin leans in conspiratorially, head propped up on her fist. “Out of my own curiosity, are you the leader of your little group?”

“What? You get to be curious, but I can’t? That’s bullshit,” Eve tears her eyes away from those cat-like eyes. She grabs the strawberry stem from her plastic bowl and tosses it at the woman across from her (and, dear god, she really needs to learn her name soon). The hand under the killer’s chin moves to catch the projectile with ease. 

She smiles and throws it over her shoulder, ignoring the indignant shout from a random civilian behind her. “I’m much harder to kill, so yes.”

Eve considered and drank her tea as she stared at her delicate features for a moment. “Yes, but I have a boss. What’s your name?” 

“Ooh, sexy.”

“Your name is Sexy?” Eve deadpanned.

“Oh, it’s very sexy. I picked it out myself.” The assassin laughed before continuing, “Why did they hire you to find me? I’d say good job with that, by the way, but  _ I  _ was the one who found  _ you _ .”

“I would’ve hunted you down eventually,” Eve ignored the killer wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. “And what, do you need to hear my qualifications? Contact references?”

“Oh, come on. Why? I want to know.” She batted her eyelashes. 

Eve let out a long-suffering groan. “Because I did some excellent independent research on female assassins, and my boss considered my expertise an asset. What’s your name?”

“Female assassins in general or…?” Such a brat. 

“What’s your name? Or do you  _ want _ to only be called the assassin when I think about you?” Eve was getting frustrated. 

“As long as you think of me, baby,” The absolute biggest asshole in the world’s lips twitched up into the tiniest smile. Maybe it was genuine or maybe it was literally on the face of an actual psychopath, who could tell! “So they hired you because you generally know a lot about female assassins?”

“Why should I answer your questions if you refuse to answer even a single question I have?” Eve finished her tea.

“Because I’m your soulmate and I look like this?” She gestured to herself vaguely. 

“You have some chocolate on your face.” 

“Rude.” The woman’s face crinkled up as she went to wipe off the mess. 

“It was research on you,” Eve said as she gathered up her things. “My boss found my research I’d done linking all your kills. You’re not as impressive as you think you are.”

“Clearly they were impressive enough to keep you interested.” The woman still looked slightly insulted. “And you really should be nicer to your soulmate.” 

This conversation was both exhausting and exhilarating. “I’m not a very nice lady. Lucky for you because I can’t imagine someone good and kind wanting to interact with you.”

“Being mean doesn’t count as flirting, you know!” A few strands of her blonde hair had managed to escape her bun and fall delicately in her face. Maybe she’d done it on purpose? “Wait! Did you just imply that you like interacting with me?”

She was so annoying. Even more so when she managed to be right. 

Eve stood and pulled on her coat, pulling her curls out from the collar. She saw the assassin’s eyes follow the movement and go slightly predatory. Eve was suddenly struck with the realization that she’d declawed herself for their conversation. Eve certainly hadn’t. 

“Yes,” Eve replied simply as she picked up her trash to leave. The woman was still nursing her drink, but Eve reached out to grab her trash too. 

Strong fingers wrapped around her arm, stopping her immediately. The grip was tight, almost too tight, but only lasted a moment before she let go. She looked slightly sheepish, surprisingly. “Sorry. Prison instincts. Go ahead.” 

Eve made note of the personal tidbit she’d been granted mentally. “No, I think you can throw it away yourself now. Bye, demon.” 

“Villanelle.”

  
Eve paused then gave  _ Villanelle  _ a tiny smile before turning to leave. “Bye, Villanelle,” she called over her shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyyy so like here.... pretend like it didn't take approximately 17 years to get here thx <3 To excuse part of that time, I do live in Texas so I didn't have power (or water or wifi) for a while. I'm good now, though, so no worries! I hope you liked it. I think they probably won't talk much if at all in the next chapter, so I hope you enjoyed it while you can! But also don't hold me to that.... I'm a mess. I also didn't really edit this even though that's like my favorite part of writing (fun fact!), but I'll do that later probs. Love y'all!

**Author's Note:**

> Y'all, I am so sorry about it being heavy Niko in this chapter. I'd really just like to get him out of the way as soon as possible. Hence, the big fight in chapter one lmao. God, I can't wait to never have to write him again hehe.   
> I will be writing more, I promise! In the meantime, you can talk to me on twitter if you want. It's @delvainy there too. See you guys later!


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